Valve



5. J. NORDSTROM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I VALVE Sept. 16 1930.

(irlginal Filid Apr-1114, 1.929

I ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1930. NORDSTRCM Re. 17,805

VALVE d'ri inal Filed April 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reiosued Sept. 16,1930 UNITED STATES PATEN SVEN iTOHAN NORDSTROM, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR TO MEBCO NORD- B'IROM VALVE COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE VALVE 1'- OFFICE- Y OriginalNo..1,66B,168, dated Kay 1, 1928, Serial No. 101,864, filed April 14, 1926. Application for reissue filed September 6,

The invention relates to an improvement in valves and more particularlyto an improvement in pressure lubricated valves especially adapted forgas curb cock servlce.

A gas curb cock is usually a plug valve lo:

cated under the sidewalk or street in the pipe line leading from themain into the house or other building in which the, gas is used.

These valves are usually at such adepth below the surface that they mustbe operated by waterand earth, great difficulty is sometimes anextension wrench or handle. They commonly remain open for long periodsof time, and since they are more or less exposed to the elements, andare often covered with experienced in closing them in cases ofnecessity. .Great damage has occurred in burning buildings from escapinggas because the curb cock in the sidewalk or street could not be closed.Since every gas consuming house or building is provided with one or moregas curb cocks, and hence great numbers of these valves are produced,the requirement is'that they be of simple construction so that they maybe manufactured as cheaply as possible. no object of the presentinvention is to produce a pressure lubricated plug valve which can beconstructed so cheaply that it will be suitable for gas curb cockservice. Since the valve is of the type in which lubricant underpressure is used for lifting the plug from its seat so that the bearingor seatmg surfaces of the valve may be efi ectlvely lubricated, thevalve will at all times be in condition for' ready operation, eitherfrom open to closed PQSltlOIl OI from closed to open position. 7

Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the partsof the valve that the operation of the valve will not be affected by acovering of water or earth.

Still another object of the invention is to arrange the lubricatingsystem of the valve in such a way that when the plug turned to openposition the bearing or seating surfaces are simultaneously lubricated.A feature of the invention in this connection is the provision ofmeans'which has the effect of forcing or pulling the plug against itsseat when it is turned fromopen to closed posi end of the plug and thecap 1929. Serial No. 390,729.

tion and of forcingthe plug from its seat when it is turned from closedto open osition. These objects and other objects 0 the invention, whichwill appear as the descripparts shown in Fig. 1, with the middle por-v Yi tion in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is -a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the plug operating and lubricating head shown detachedfrom the valve; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through amodifiedformof plug lu-' bricating and operating head; Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of valve;Fig. 7 is a top plan and sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, of the formi of valve shown in Fig. 6; Fig- 8 is an elevational detail of the plugoperating and lubricating head of the valve shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9is a top plan of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Y

The improved valve, as illustrated in Fig. 1, comprises a body portionor casing 10, pro vided with a longitudinal passageway 111 therethroughand a tapered valve seat 12 formed transversely of the passageway 11.Seated in the valve seat 12 is a tapered plug 13 provided with a hole 14adapted to register with the passageway 11 when the valve-is open. Theplug as shown in Fig. 1 is in closed position sealing the passageway 11through the casing.

The side of the casing 10 at which the larger is provided with anannular internally threaded flange 15 and the opening therethrough isclosed by a cap or cover 16, the joint between the two parts being madetight by means of a gasket 17. A fiat U-shaped spring 19 is interposedbetween the larger so as to resiliently hold the plug against its seat.19 is received in a slot 20 cut longitudinally 'The spring I projectionsthe plug when it has been turned in one direcin the flange portion 15-of the casing and when the spring is in operative position the two ends21 thereof bear against the inside of the circular flange part 22 of thecap 16 and the middle portion 23 of the spring bears against a boss 24projecting from the center of the larger end of the plug 13. In orderthat the plug may have only a 90 turn the larger end of the plug isprovided with two projections 25 arranged on opposite sides of thespring 19 which serves as a stop for the 25 to prevent further turningof inwardly from a hollow, plug operating and smaller end of the plug.

separated slightly lubricating head 30 which is threaded into thebonnet-like flange 31 extending outwardly from the side of the casingsurrounding the The bottom of the projection 29 is separated from thebottom of the recess 27 by a space 34. The inner end of the circularflange 31 forms with the body portion of the casing an annular. recessor chamber 32 into which the smaller end 33 of the plug extends. Twolongitudinally disposed lubricating grooves or channels 35 and 36 areformed in the seating surface of the plug and extend from the extremityof the smaller end of the plug to almost the extremity of the larger endof the plug. The

annular recess 32 constitutes a lubricant chamber and when lubricant inthis chamber, in the lubricating grooves and in the space 34 is putunder pressure, the plug is from its seat 12 against the action of thespring 19 so.tl1at lubricant will escape laterally from the grooves orchannels 35 and 36, and when the plug is turned this lubricant will besmeared over the seating or bearing surfaces of the plug and its seatand thereby effectively lubricate them. The lubricant enters the space34 and the chamber 32 from the reservoir 38 formed in thehead 30. Theoutlet 39 between the reservoir 38 and the space 3 b is provided with aball check valve 40. The contracted inlet of the reservoir 38 is closedby the plug 41. The outer end of the head 30 is flattened and elongatedat 42 to accommodate the'wrench or handle by which the head 30 is turnedto rotate the plug to open and closed positions.

In operating a plug valve the universal practice is to turn the plug ina counterclockwise direction to open the valve and in a clockwisedirection to close the valve. By making the pitch of the cooperatingthreads -tenedsides 28 of the recess 27 acts-to pull the flattened sides28 of the recess 27 acts in conjunction with the lubricant underpressure to force the plug from its seat. When the head 30 is turned inthe reverse direction to rotate the plug to closed position, thefrictional, sliding engagement between the flattened sides of theprojection 29 and the flatthe plug against its seat. This actioncombined with the action of the spring19 assures a tight joint'betweenthe plug'and its seat when the valve is closed.

In assembling the valve for operation the ing frictional engagementbetween the flattened sides of the projection 29 and plug operating andlubricating head is first screwed into the threaded flange 31, and whenit has been turned down into the desired position the flattened sides oftheprojection 29 are so located as to hold the plug in its closedposition when into the valve seat. The distance inward into the valvecasing to which the. head 30 is turned in assembling the valve will besuch that a sufiicient lubricant containing space 34 will be leftbetween thebottom of the projection 29 and the bottom of the recess 27,.as shown in Fig. 1. The U-shaped spring 19 is then put in place and thecover 16 is screwed down into the threaded flange 15 with the gasket 17interposed between the flange 22 and the casing. The hollow head 30 isnext filled with lubricant. WVhen the valve is first assembled it isdesirable that a pressure lubricant gun he applied to the threaded inletof the head 30 and all the lubricant passages in the valve, includingthe chamber 32 and the lubricating grooves 35 and 36, be filled withlubricant. When the pressure gun is removed, the plug 41 is used toclose the inlet.

Thevalve is now in the condition shown in Fig. 1 and is ready foroperation. The workman-places a wrench or handle on the flattened part42 of the head 30 and turns it in a counter-clockwise direction to move,the plug 13 to open position'with the hole 14 in registry with thepassageway .11. Inasmuch as all the lubricant containing spaces. in thevalve were filled at the time the valve was assembled, the axial travelof the inner end 29 of the head 30 relatively to the plug 13 causes thelubricant in the space 34, in the chamber 32 and in the grooves 35 and36 to be put under pressure suflicient to sepathe latter is insertedratethe plug 13 slightly from the valve seat, thereby permitting thelubricant in the rooves and 36 to ooze out laterally and e smeared overthe; bearing or seating surfaces of the plug and its seat as the plug isrotated. When the lubricant in the space 34 is put under pressure at thebeginning of the turning movement of the head 30, the ball is forcedinto its seat, thereby closing the outlet 39 of the head 30 and sealingthis way of egress from the space 34. The cooperating threads on thehead 30 and the circular flange 31 'are sufliciently' tight to preventegress of lubricant, especially after the lubricant has once enteredthe. slight spaces between the threads. In this connection it will beobserved that this arrangement is an efficient means of keeping thethreads lubricated and easy working as well as fluid tight. Hence acovering of water or earth will not interfere with the operation of thevalve.

When the head 30 is turned in a clockwise direction to move the plug 13to its closed position, the frictional engagement between the sides ofthe projection 29 and the flattened sides 28 of the recess 27 as thehead 30 moves outward axially from the plug 13 acts, in conjunction withthe spring 19, to draw the plug 13 tightly against its seat. As the head30 moves outwardly relatively to the smaller end of the plug 13, avacuum is created in the space 34 which results in the unseating of theball valve 40 and permits the passage of lubricant from the reservoir 38into the space 34. 'Thus when the head 30 is a ain turned in acounter-clockwise direction, t e space 34 being filled with lubricant,the travel of the end of the projection 29 toward the bottom of therecess 27 will put the lubricant under pressure, closing the valve 40 asbefore and resulting in a. slight separation of the plug from the valveseat. 4

In Fig. 5 is shown in longitudinal section a modified form of plugoperating and lubricatin head desi nated by the reference numera 45.This ead has the same mode of operation as the head 30 and may besubstituted for it. It differs in construction from the head 30 in thatit is provided with a plunger or piston 46 and a coiled expansion spring47 interposed between the plunger 46 and the plu stituted for the head30 in those cases where a more viscous lubricant is employed. Theoutlet, port'49 of'the head 45 is adapted to i be closed by the ballvalve 50 when the head 45 is turned ina counter-clockwise direction tomove the plug 13 to open position. When the head 45 is turned in thereverse direction The modified form of valve shown in Fig.6

48 which closes the outer endof the hen The head 45"may be sub-' jection58 of the head 53 has the same shape as the projection 29 of the head 30and extends into a recess 59 which corresponds to the recess 27. A space60 separates the inner end of the projection 58 from the bottom of therecess 59. When the head 53 is turned in a counter-clockwise directionto rotate the plug to open position, the inward travel of the projection58 into the recess 59 compresses the lubricant therein, in the chamber32 and in the lubricating grooves 35 and 36, with the result that theplug is separated slightly from its seat to permit the lubricant 'to besmeared over the seatingsurfaces as the plug rotates. When the head 53is turned in the reverse direction and the projection 58 moves outwardlyfrom the bottom of the recess 59, a space is left. This space is filledwith lubricant by turning down on thepressure screw 56 before the plugis again turned to open posit-ion. In all other respects the plugoperating and lubricating head 53 performs the samefunctions and has thesame mode of operation as the heads 30 and 45.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is':

1. A valve comprisin passageway therethrough and a tapered valve seatformed transversely of the passageway, a tapered plug seated in thevalve seat and having a hole adapted to register with the a casinghaving a passageway, resilient means associated with the larger end ofthe plug for holding the plug against its seat,'and a hollow lubricantcontaining head screwed into the casing beyond the smaller end of theplug, the smaller is rotated in its seat, and a space between the headand the plug for containing lubricant. 2. A valve comprising,a casinghaving a passageway therethrough and a tapered valve seat formedtransversely of the passsageway, a tapered plug seated in the valve seatand having a hole adapted to register with the passageway, the ends ofthe plug terminating within the casing, a cover for the casing at thelarger end of the plug, resilient means between the cover and thelarger' end of the plug for holding the plug against its seat, acircular flange provided with an internal thread of left hand pitch atthe side of the casing surrounding the smaller end of the plug, a hollowlubricant containing head threaded into the circular flange, the smallerend of the plug being provided with a transverse recess into which theinner end of the head extends, an annular chamber formed in the casingat the smaller end of the plug, and longitudinal lubricating grooves inthe seating surface of the plug and extending into the annular chamber.

3. A valve comprising, a casing having a passageway therethrough and atapered valve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a tapered plugseated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted to register with thepassageway, resilient means associated with the larger end of the plugfor holding the plug against its seat, the smaller end of the plug beingprovided with a transverse recess, ahollowuhead threaded into the casingat the smaller end of the plug and having its inner end extending intothe recess in the smaller end of the plug, the bottoin of the recess andthe inner end of the head being separated by a space, means for holdinglubricant in the head, a communication between the lubricant containingpart of the head and the space between the head and the plug wherebywhen the head and plug are turned in one direction lubricant msscs intothe space, and when the head and plug are turned in the reversedirection the axial travel of the head relative to the plug compressesthe lubricant in the space ind thereby acts to lift the plug from itsseat.

4. A valve comprising, av casing having a passageway therethrough and atapered valve seat formed transversely of the passageway,

' a tapered plugseated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted toregister with the passageway, resilient means associated with the largerendof the plug for holding the plug against its seat, a transverserecess formed in the smaller end of the plug, a chamber formed in thecasing and into which the smaller end of the plug extends, longi- Ltudinal lubricating channels in the seating surface of the plugextending from the chamber and terminating short of the larger end ofthe plug, and a hollow head adapted to contain lubricant screwed into aleft hand thread in the casing and having its inner end extending intothe transverse recess in the smaller end of the plug, said head havingwrench engaging surfaces whereby the head may be turned to rotate theplug in its seat.

5. A valvecomprising, a casing havin a passageway therethrough and atapered va ve seat formed transversely of the passageway a tapered plugseated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted to. register with thepassageway, a cover for the casing at the largerend of the plug, aspring between the cover and the larger end of the plug for resilientlyholding the plug against its seat, the

being provided with longitudinal lubricatsmaller end of the plugterminating within the casing, a circular flange provided with a lefthand thread in the side of the casing at the smaller end of the plug, ahead threaded into the circular flange, the inner end of the head andthe smaller end of the plug having cooperating means providing a looseconnection between them whereby when the head is turned the plug isrotated in its seat, and lubricating channels in the seating surface ofthe plug, the head being provided with means for introducing lubricantinto the space between the inn'er end of the head and the smaller end ofthe plug.

6. A valve comprising, a casing havin a passageway therethrough and atapered va ve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a tapered plugseated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted to re ister with thepassageway, means for resi iently holding the plug against its seat, anda head having a driving connection with the plug threaded in the casingat the smaller end of the plug and having means for introducing fluidbetween the head and the plug so thatwhen the head is turned in onedirection and travels axially relatively to the plug the com ression ofthe fluidbetween the head and t 1e plug causesthe plug to be lifted fromits seat.

7. A valve comprising, a casing having a passageway therethrough and avalve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a plug seated in thevalve seat and having a hole adapted to register with the passageway, aspring held in the casing for resiliently holding the plug against itsseat and projections on the plug arranged to be engaged by the spring todetermine the open and closed positlons of the plug. I

8'. A valve comprising, a casing having a passageway therethrough and atapered valve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a tapered plugseated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted to register with thepassageway, a spring held in a recess in the: casing for resilientlyholding the plug against its scat, projections on the plug straddlingthe spring, said projections being so located relatively to the hole inthe plug that engagen'i'ent with the spring determines the open andclosed positions of the plug, and the size ofthe projections relativelyto the width of the sprin permits the plngto turn through an angle 0?approximately 90.

9. A valve comprising, a casing having a passageway therethrough and atapered valve seat formed transversely of the pas sageway, a taperedplug seated in the valve seat and having a hole adapted to register withthe passageway, the surface of the plug ing grooves, two projectionsextending from the larger end of the plug and located on opposite sidesthereof, an inverted U-shaped spring located in a recess in the side ofthe 5 for forcing the middle part easing surrounding the lar er end ofthe plug, the middle-section of t e spring being placed between theprojections, and av cover in engagement with the ends of the spring ofthe sprin against the larger end of the plug to 11015 the plug in itsseat, the relation of the posi tion of the lubricating grooves and theprojections and the relation of the size of the projections and the sizeof the spring being such that the engagement of the pr0 ections with.the spring permits the plug to be turned through an arc of only about 90so that the grooves will not be exposed to the passageway. 1

- 10. In a valve, a casing having'a passageway therethrough and a boreor valve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a

- plug rot-atably positioned in the bore and arranged to move axiallytherein, the ends of the plug terminating Within the casing and thecasing being closed at each side at the ends of the plug to seal theplug from the atmosphere so that no part of the plug is exposed to theatmosphere, means for introducing lubricant under pressure into thevalve to act on the plug to move it axially in one direction, and meansfor urging the plug axially in the other direction.

11. In a valve, a casing having a passageway therethrough and a taperedbore or valve seat formed transversel of thepassageway, a tapered plugrotata ly positioned in the bore and arranged to move axially thereof,the plug terminating within the casing and the casing being closed atboth ends of the plug to seal the plugfrom the atmosphere so that nopart of the plug is exposed to the atmosphere, means for introducinglubricant under pressure into the valve to act on the plug to move it inthe direction to separate theplug from the bore, and resilient means forurging the plug in the direction to seat it against the bore.

12. A valve comprising, a casing having a passagewa therethrough and atapered bore or seat ormed transversely of the passageway, a taperedplug rotatably positioned inthe bore, resilient means acting on the plugin a direction to seat the plug against the bore, a head threaded intothe'casing at.

the smaller end of the plug, the smaller end of the plug and the innerend of the head having a driving connection at certain points and beingspaced apart at other points to provide a. space to contain lubricant,turning'of the head inwardly serving to compressthe lubricant wherebythe plug is moved axially against the action of the resilient means.

13.'A valve comprising, a casing having a assagewaytherethrough and abore or va ve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a plugrotatably positioned in the bore and having a hole adapted to registermounted in the casing and having a driving connection with the plug, thehead and casing having cooperating means for advancing the head into thecasing upon rotation of the same in one direction, there being aspace'between the head and the plu forming a chamber adapted to containlu ricant, and channels communicating with the chain ber for conductinglubricant to the peripheral surfaces of the plug and the bore, turningofthe head in said one direction serving to compress the lubricant inthe chamber and force it into the channels.

, 14. In a valve having a casing with a passageway therethrough and aplug rotatably positioned in the casing for controlling the passageway,a hollow head threaded into the casing and having a driving connectionwith the plug, said head being adapted to contain lubricant, the innerend of the head being provided with a hole'for conducting lubricant fromthe head into the casing, and a checkvalve located in the hole forcontrolling the passage of lubricant therethrough. g h

15. In avalve having a casing with a passageway therethrough and a plugrotatably positioned in the casing for controlling the passageway, ahollow lubricant-contaming head threaded into the casing and having adriving connection with one .end of the plug,

there being a space between the inner end of the head and the plugadapted to receive lubricant, the inner end of the head having to beunseated when the head is turned in the the plug, the head and easinghavin cooperating means for advancing the bee into the casing uponrotation of the same in one direction and for retracting thehead fromthe casing upon rotation of the head in the opposite direction, therebeing a space between the inner end of the head and the plug adapted toreceive lubricant, the inner end of the head having a hole forconducting lubricant into the space between the head and the plug, and acheck-valve located in the hole and arranged to be unseated when thehead is turned in the first direction to permit lubricant to pass intothe space between the head and the plug1 and to be seated when the headis turned in t e opposite direction.

17 A valve comprising, a casing having a passageway therethrough and. abore or valve seat formed transversely of the passageway, a plugrotatably positioned within the bore and having a hole adapted toregister with the passageway, a head separate from the plug rotatablymounted in the casing and having a driving connection with the plug, a

lubricant chamber in communication with the coacting surfaces of thevalve, the head and easing having cooperating means whereby when thehead is turned in either direction it moves axially relatively to theplug and changes the volumetric capacity of the lubricant chamber.

18. In a valve, a casing having a passageway therethrough and a boreformed transversely of the passageway, a plug rotatably positioned inthe bore and arranged to move axially therein, the ends of the plugterminating within the'c'asing and the casing being'clo'sed at each endof the plug so that no part of the plug is exposed to the atmosphere,the casing having a lubricant contain-- ing chamber to which one end ofthe plug is exposed, means for putting the lubricant un der pressure tomove the plug axially in one direction, and means for urging the plugaxially in the opposite direction.

19. In a valve, a casing having a passageway therethrough and a boreformed transversely of the passageway, a plug rota-tably positioned inthe bore and arranged to move axially therein, a plug-turning headrotatably mounted in the casing at one end of the plug, the inner end ofthe head and the adjacent end of the plug being spaced apart but having.

a driving connection etween them permitting the plug to move axially,the casing being provided with a chamber of which the space between thehead and the lug is a part for containing lubricant which 1s adapted tobe placed under pressure to move the plug axially in the direction awayfrom the head, and means for resiliently urging the plug in thedirection toward the head. K

SVEN JOHAN NORDSTROM.

